


The Vulcan Lesson

by fiendlikequeen



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Mush, Light-Hearted, family-friendly and entirely wholesome, just absolute tooth-rotting fluff, literally this is so mushy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:41:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25520782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fiendlikequeen/pseuds/fiendlikequeen
Summary: Jonathan solicits Hoshi's help in interpreting a Vulcan word. Its meaning surprises him.Set between "Terra Prime" and "These Are the Voyages..."
Relationships: Jonathan Archer/T'Pol
Comments: 10
Kudos: 51





	The Vulcan Lesson

**Author's Note:**

> A short T'Pol/Archer fic! With Hoshi thrown into the mix because she's the best!

Jonathan Archer is, at the moment, entirely in his element: on _Enterprise,_ in the midst of a heated debate with his science officer.

He’s irritated about it, of course, but quite pleased, too – though that might have something to do with the fact that he and T’Pol aren’t arguing on the bridge, or in his ready room, or even in his mess. She’s far too clever for that. She’s taken to voicing her concerns privately, when he suspects she thinks he’ll be receptive to them.

Patient _and_ shrewd: she’d gone to bed with him, waited until he was near sleep, and then:

“I have…reservations about Tau Ceti,” she’d said. “Your choice of personnel.”

His response had been a muffled expletive, which had clearly been her cue to launch into a carefully-considered laundry list of complaints about his plans for the upcoming away mission. Her points are well-made, of course. That doesn’t mean he likes them any better.

That’s why he’s wide awake now, in the midst of a full-blown argument.

“Ashayam, that is-” she says, in objection to his (entirely accurate) statement that as the captain it’s _his_ decision who goes on away missions. Sighs, then goes on. “I would try to talk you out of it-”

He snorts, since that’s _exactly_ what she’s trying to do.

“-but knowing how…reluctant you are to reconsider, when your mind is made up-”

“You’re saying I’m stubborn.”

He doesn’t need to see her face to know how her eyebrow lifts. “I merely ask you to entertain other possibilities. Lieutenant Reed is perfectly capable of-”

“You think Malcolm would do a better job than me?”

She prevaricates expertly: “He is your tactical officer. This is a tactical mission. It is only logical to rely on his expertise in this matter.”

She’s right, of course. Jonathan chews on his pride for a moment before he swallows it quite reluctantly. “I’ll _consider_ it.”

He feels her reach for his hand, press her first two fingers against his palm. A Vulcan kiss. “Thank you, Jonathan.”

This is enough to have him grinning like an idiot, all irritation forgotten. After a moment, something occurs to him:

“Ashayam,” he says. “What does that mean?”

T’Pol says nothing, though Jonathan knows she isn’t asleep.

“Is it a swear word?”

“Vulcans,” comes the response, cutting through the gloom, “do not swear.”

*****

“Ashayam,” says Jonathan, into the UT. It chirps, and returns nothing. “ _Ash-ay-am. A-shay-am.”_

Still nothing from the UT. Damn thing can handle rapid-fire Andorian shouted across a crowded conference room by a blue-faced ambassador, but one slightly mispronounced Vulcan word from him and it’s at a loss.

Luckily for him, he knows a much better translator than the UT.

“Hoshi,” he says, one quiet moment on the bridge. “How’s your Vulcan these days?”

Hoshi looks up from her PADD, gives him a look that is as close to exasperated as she gets. “Nam-tor Vuhlkansu t’nash-ve ohrom, khart-lan.”

“Great,” he says. He didn’t understand a word. Doubtless Hoshi knows that. “Help me with something?”

“Veling,” says Hoshi, and then relents. “Of course, sir. Interested in a Vulcan lesson?”

He’s already got someone to teach him everything he cares to know about Vulcans. He leans over the console, affecting a casual air he hopes is believable. “Not at all. Just a word, ensign. Tried the UT, but it couldn’t help. Guess it didn’t understand what I was trying to say. Didn’t think my accent was _that_ lousy, though. Apparently it is.”

Hoshi laughs. “It’s calibrated to translate for native speakers. Probably wouldn’t do well with a Vulcan trying to speak English, either,” she says. He knows she’s just trying to be kind. Doubtless the UT has no trouble with T’Pol’s English.

“‘Ashayam.’”

Whatever Jonathan expects from her, it isn’t surprise. But Hoshi’s eyebrows nearly vanish into her hairline. “I beg your pardon, captain?”

“That’s the word. ‘Ashayam.’ Know what it means?”

“Where did you hear that word, sir?”

Jonathan doesn’t tell her. “What does it mean?”

Hoshi is a little too quiet for a little too long. Jonathan doesn’t trust her silence or the little smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

He grinds his teeth: “It’s a swear word, isn’t it?”

“No,” blurts Hoshi. Her voice has the muted tone she adopts when muffling a giggle. Jonathan suspects that there’s a joke here, one at his expense. “No, sir, it’s not, it’s – well, it’s-”

“Hoshi.”

“It’s not a commonly-used word, sir.”

_“Hoshi.”_

“It’s – it’s a term of endearment.”

Oh. “Endearment.”

“Yes. From the root word ‘ashaya,’ meaning ‘love.’”

Oh. _Oh._ “So ‘ashayam’ means-”

“‘Beloved,’ sir.”

*****

Now it’s Jonathan’s turn to wait until T’Pol is at ease – though he hopes not to provoke an argument, he wouldn’t be surprised if what he has to say will shock her.

He pays her a visit in her quarters, and after certain efforts to ensure that she’s relaxed, brings something up:

“I’ve decided to let Malcolm handle the away mission after all.”

“The most logical course of action,” she returns. At the moment, they’re in her bunk. She’s propped up next to him, engrossed in a book. Jonathan is engrossed in watching her. “Lieutenant Reed’s expertise makes him the ideal choice. May I ask what changed your mind?”

“You did,” he says, then adds: “Ashayam.”

She does not look up from her book. “One should not use a word without knowing its meaning,” she remarks, turning a page.

Oh, but he does. Haltingly, no doubt poorly pronounced, but with no lack of enthusiasm: “Ashau nash-ve tu.”

As if he has done nothing but remarked upon a spatial anomaly, she arches one eyebrow. “And I you.”

**Author's Note:**

> I've been writing a lot of smut lately (sorry, mom) so I thought it was time for some G-rated fluff! I hope you enjoyed. 
> 
> For the Vulcan in this fic (and for the discovery that Vulcan sentence structure is verb/subject/object) I am indebted to "The Vulcan Language," courtesy of Mark R. Gardner and the Vulcan Language Institute: http://surak.nu/vulcanlanguage.pdf
> 
> Translations:  
> Ashayam - beloved  
> Nam-tor Vuhlkansu t’nash-ve ohrom, khart-lan - My Vulcan is excellent, captain.  
> Veling - of course  
> Ashau nash-ve tu. - I love you.


End file.
